Suddenly a parent
by J.A.Kishu
Summary: John Watson has a new charge under his wing. A six year old with more than one emotional problem. Part 1 of Little Sherlock 2
1. William s return

**Suddenly a parent**

_(Part 1 of Little Sherlock 2 – William returns)_

**Chapter 1: William´s return**

It was what John would have called a normal Wednesday afternoon at 221B Baker Street: a spy novel, tea and a few of Mrs. Hudson´s greatest creations in the area of baking, the chocolate cookie. Yes, he could have called it that had Mycroft Holmes not chosen the precise moment the clock on the wall hit four o´clock to enter the flat with a primary school child holding his hand.

"John we need to talk." Before John could get a better look at the child Mycroft sent it to Sherlock´s room where the boy disappeared without another word.

"Great let´s talk, who is the child you sent to Sherlock´s room? And why do I have the feeling I won´t like what you have to tell me?" Mycroft sighed and sat down in Sherlock´s armchair.

"I think you have met the child before, remember William, my little brother as a kid? He is back." John´s eyes flew to the closed door at the end of the hall.

"William is a three year old and-" John stopped, thinking and counting. It had been nearly three years since Sherlock´s experiment and his adored the time he had had with that little boy he loved and adored. If you added to a three year old three years you got a six year old William, ready for primary school. "Is it really him?" John had thought he would never see him again. Some flashes of that time sometimes appeared in his flatmate but the small child had been taken away from him.

"It´s really him and I have to ask for a favour." John eyed him suspiciously. "He has to stay a child for a while. Let´s just say he made a few people very angry and this is the best way to hide him. Right under their eyes. He is safe like this and it gives me time to solve this whole mess. Would you be willing to be his guardian for this time?"

To be honest with himself, although John had expected this question, it was still a shock, being asked to become a parent to your best friend. Thinking of William, it wouldn't be fair to just run into this whole parenting thing without thinking about it a bit. Could he, an ex-soldier and doctor be a parent and this over a longer period of time? The small sleepy voice that had told John with his last words that he loved him suddenly appeared in his mind and gave the answer. "Yes Mycroft I will become William´s guardian."

"Thank you, John. I really appreciate it. He has to take one of these pills every morning." Mycroft offered him a little bottle with pills. "My scientists worked on it and they made it in such a way that he will stay at his current age. I also created papers for William that will put him in your care, officially. So no one will question it. You can even send him to school if you want." John found his arms filled with a stack of papers.

"…School, right. Wait, why wouldn't I send him to school?" Mycroft looked towards the closed door of Sherlock´s room again.

"He … Sherlock never dealt well with everything related to his age. School was pure horror for him and our parents. You might have found William at 3 sweet but the version you get today is different. At six years Sherlock had already learned enough about people and the world that he despised it all. It took me a long time to get him interested in something again. It also seems as if he remembers his time as William the last time. So he thinks he hasn't seen you in three years. And this he doesn't really understand."

John could feel guilt growing inside of him, even when he couldn't have done anything to change this. Still now William thought he hadn't wanted to see him, play with him, read to him or any of the other things they had done together. Not a very glorious beginning for this child-parent relationship. He would have desired for a better start.


	2. Sherlock s last message (for a while)

**Chapter 2: Sherlock´s last message (for a while)**

As Mycroft got ready to leave, he reached into his pocket to pull out a folded piece of paper. "He left you a message, I didn't read it but I know what it will tell you." John took the paper. "My brother never had an easy time in life and I would be happy for him if you could give him a bit of the happiness he wasn't fortunate enough to have at this time of his life."

Mycroft left without telling Sherlock/William and leaving John with the mess the Holmes brothers had created by themselves. John sighed and opened the letter. He would deal with William in a minute; the child was quiet and that was alright with him. He wanted to read Sherlock´s message before getting started with being a parent.

_Dear John,_

_First of all, before I continue with this letter, I would like to apologize for the behaviour and attitude William will have towards you and every living person. Mycroft won´t be of any help and I´m really sorry that we decided something as important as parenthood without consulting you first._

_I would also like to ask you to be like the last time. William loved you, more than any of my parents had ever been able to, not even my grandma. You were the parent that I have always wanted. Understanding, patient, loving and, above all else, William could always trust your word._

_Please be this person for William again, even when he doesn't want you at the beginning._

_Your Sherlock_

John sighed. It was like he had always thought: Sherlock´s childhood had offered the man nothing he could call home, family or safety. Feeling the growing sadness for the lost childhood, John folded the letter again and placed it in the drawer of their shared desk.

He walked down the hall to Sherlock´s bedroom; he wasn't sure why William had chosen this room to hide. The child had never liked to be alone. He had always wanted to be around people. But then again the letter and Mycroft´s comment implied that William wasn't very keen on meeting or talking to people.

The door was only half closed as he knocked twice on the dark wood to get the child's attention without frightening him. There was no answer so John pushed the door open and found Sherlock or better William sitting on the bed. Shoes on the floor, his legs pulled up. He hugged his thin legs making himself small.

As John saw the child´s body language the first thought was he had scared the child but the boy's eyes told him something else. They showed anger and disappointment but also resignation and loneliness combined with something John couldn't read as yet but had to find out because it could be the beginning of self-hate. A child that never received the love and attention it needed, most of the time looked for the reason within himself. When everyone treat you like you are nothing or unwanted at some point you start to believe it yourself.

John kneeled down to look up in the lowered eyes of a sad and lonely child that was his to watch over from now on. "Hey William, do you remember me?" He smiled and didn't need to wait for an answer because William's eyes told him everything he needed to know. Yes, William remembered him, recognized him and was also very angry at him.


	3. New Home

**Chapter 3: New home**

William hadn't protested when Uncle Mycroft had told him that he would bring him to John. He had liked the man even if his memories now weren't that clear; it was harder for him to remember things from the past, it was like a shadow that was covering up everything that belonged to his time with John but one thing was still very clear to William. John hadn't bothered to visit, to call, write or ask about him. Nothing had happened between the day on the sofa where John had read to him and today. It was as if John had disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared in William´s short life.

He was a child and maybe he also a genius, he could understand many grown up things and William was sure that you didn't leave people behind when you have told them you love them. John had told him he loved him and William had said it back but John had gone away and everything afterwards was like before he had met the doctor. His parents were still gone or cold, his brother was busy with school and William wasn't able to hide from her, she always found him.

There had to be a reason for John to have stayed away, the most likely reason was that William had done something wrong. No one ever told him anymore that he was loved or special or good. He was so alone.

Alone in John´s flatmate's bedroom William sat on the bed, what else could he do? Uncle Mycroft would ask John to take him in and John would probably tell him that he couldn't stay. Then he had to go back but he didn't want to. A sudden dark thought came up in William's mind. The eyes of a little girl, cold and questioning, a girl that had told him that no one wanted him and that he would only bring sorrow to those who chose to take him.

Maybe it was better to go somewhere else. William was angry at John for leaving him so long but he still loved the man, who made him magic tea and showed him a warm world of love and trust. John didn't deserve him and all the bad things that came with him in a package. Could he even trust John after all this time? Mycroft had told him once that sometimes people change and they might be different to what we remember.

* * *

As the door was pushed open William's eyes fixed on the floor. He had heard Uncle Mycroft leaving but had not listened to their conversation. So it seemed John would take him in or had offered to bring him to someone else.

William wasn't looking; he just waited for what would happen next. John came closer and kneeled down. "Hey William, do you remember me?" What kind of question was that, of course he remembered John, how could he ever forget one of the few people who were kind to him, but apparently John had totally forgotten about him if he didn't even find the time for a quick visit.

John seemed to understand that he had done something wrong because the adult lowered his eyes first. "I´m sorry. I should have visited with you and I can´t change that anymore; it has already happened. It wasn't my intention to break contact with you. I hope you still like me enough to consider staying here with me."

That stopped William´s anger. Was John really thinking that he didn't want the doctor to be back in his life? "Myc … Uncle Mycroft asked me to watch over you as your guardian, but if you feel like you wouldn't like that, I can ask him to find someone else." William searched for John´s eyes, he found guilt and sadness.

"You would want… me?" William was hesitant to ask. His first words since Uncle Mycroft had brought him here. Did John really want him to stay?

"Yes. Yes of course, William. I would love to have you here again." There was hope sparkling out of John´s eyes and William watched the man in wonder. Didn't he know that he was going to bring sorrow into this house? The flash of cold eyes and the heat of flames came back to his mind. Dark red flames that ate away his home, that had been his fault. She had only made it happen, but he had been the reason for the fire.

"You won´t like what you get." William whispered, and this time he was the one looking away.

"Let me be the judge of that." John offered him a hand and after a second William took it. "Would you like some tea? We can start making plans because you can stay here for a very long time."


	4. Where is Mr Bee?

**Chapter 4: Where is Mr. Bee?**

John made them tea, while William sat on the sofa waiting for him. As the doctor offered the milky drink the child took it with a mumbled thanks and that was the first time John noticed what was missing: Mr. Bee. He wasn't sure how to bring up the topic, worried that the boy could have a similar meltdown like the one time they had forgotten the toy at Mycroft´s. Worst night of his life and that said it all considering he had been shot and lived in a hospital for months in agonizing pain.

When William had finished his tea he placed the cup on the table in front of him. "William, where is Mr. Bee?" The boy flinched but got control over his body in no time.

"Don't need him. He is just a stuffed toy. It´s childish to walk around with something stupid like that. I´m not a baby anymore." John could read his little friend well and there was so much guilt in those beautiful bluish eyes. Shocked by this words John needed a second to understand the meaning behind them.

"Mr. Bee is your friend. And it´s not childish to have something like him. He offers comfort and companionship when you need him." John offered a smile but William ignored him. Someone, most likely children at school, had teased him about the little stuffed animal the younger William had been inseparable from.

"Don't need it. Only babies have toys like that." William didn't seem to get his point.

"Would you like to watch a movie or we could read a story together?" William shook his head.

"I will go read in my room." With that William got up, placed his cup in the sink in the kitchen, took a book out of a bag and returned to Sherlock´s room that seemed to be William´s from now on.

* * *

This wasn't his William, John though as he watched the child disappear in the room at the end of the hall. Worried he took out his phone and waited until the door of Sherlock´s room was closed before calling Mycroft.

The man seemed to expect his call, at least he didn't sound surprised about receiving a call not an hour after leaving his brother with him. "Hello John."

"Mycroft, where is Mr. Bee?" The line was silent for a few seconds.

"I put him into one of the boxes I left in the hall, with William´s clothes, books and other things." That didn't sound right.

"And why does your brother tell me stuffed toys are for babies and he doesn't want it anymore?" John hadn't wanted to sound angry be he was. Someone had hurt his… child. Wow that was fast, William was already his child. It had taken him less than an hour to commit completely to the guardianship-thing.

He heard Mycroft sigh. "Our sister, she did something to him. We aren't really sure what because he never talked about it. But he changed after the fire. It didn't help that school wasn't his place to shine. He attended nearly two years earlier than any of the other children. They didn't take his genius positively. He got bullied, for taking his bee to school even more until he didn't go anymore. Combined with whatever she did to him and the problems with our parents he rejected not only Mr. Bee but also cuddles, hugs, kisses or any other form of comfort, love and affection." Mycroft sounded sad but it didn't change the fact that John was still without any idea how to fix it.

"Thank you Mycroft. I will see what I can do." The man had been a child himself at the time this had all happened, it wasn't his fault.

"No John. Thank you, for being there for him." John ended the call and put the phone back in his pocket. He made his way over to the boxes and bag that had been ignored by everyone when Mycroft had arrived. John opened the first two until he found the black and yellow bee in the third one.

"Hey Mr. Bee, long time no see." The stuffed bee was looking at him without answering. Only his sweet William could hear his voice. "Would you like me to make William happy again?" John nearly hoped the bee would nod but it was enough for him that he was still listening.

John Watson had a new goal in life: to make William Sherlock Scott Holmes the happiest child in this world. And he would start by helping him create his own room.

"William, stop reading and help me with your things so that we can start decorating your room. All your clothes have to go into the wardrobe as well." He didn't shout and a minute later William walked out of the room. Looking up at John, with this tiny spark of hope in his eyes. Yes, Mr. Bee was ignored but William helped with the room. They took away everything dangerous put the existing books and clothes away, put William's things in their right places until the room looked a bit more like a child's one.

John would create a home for William. For his child.


End file.
